While Ariana Grande's fourth studio album, Sweetener, was released back in August, fans have spent the past few months waiting to find out if Grande would be going on tour to support the album. On Tuesday, fans finally got the exciting news they've been waiting on: In a post on her Instagram story, Grande revealed that Sweetener tour dates are coming very "soon."
Grande's post came the day after she confirmed to a fan on Twitter that she was "ready" to get back on the road, after cancelling the end of her Dangerous Woman World Tour in the wake of the tragic Manchester Arena bombing. "Any news about Sweetener tour?" the fan asked, according to Entertainment Tonight. "If not [please] don’t stress about it! we can wait / we want you to be actually ready to go on tour.'"
"I'm ready," Grande wrote back, in a tweet that has since been deleted. "My heart needs it actually finalizing a few more things but i'm tryna get em dates to u asap." Though the singer took down this tweet, she did respond to another fan, who wrote that they "can't wait to sing 'My Heart' with you," with a simple exclamation point to convey her own excitement.
Later that day on her Instagram story, Grande seemed to confirm that a tour is coming, writing, "tour dates soon."
Grande's announcement of tour dates comes in the wake of a tumultuous few months for the singer, which include her very public whirlwind engagement and recent breakup with Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson, and the sudden death of her close friend and ex-boyfriend, Mac Miller, in September. While she has been taking some time out of the spotlight in order to heal from the difficulties of the last year, Grande's decision to go back out on tour shows that she finds a great deal of comfort in performing for her fans.
In fact, Grande has long been open about the conflicting desire to be on tour and connect with her fans and her anxiety about being back on the road and away from home after the Manchester attack. In late September, Grande explained to a fan via Twitter that she wanted to go on tour, but was struggling with her anxiety and finding it hard to go back on the road. "i miss u," she tweeted. "i’m antsy. can’t sit still. i wanna tour now. yesterday i jus wanted to sit home forever but today i wanna do shows and see u. it’s all v up n down rn. but hi ily. i am working on it."
In a follow-up tweet, the singer added, "id never regret [going on tour]. my happiest moments are with y’all and on stage and stuff. i think it’s just the looooooong chunks of time away from home that are scary to me rn." She also proposed doing a "mini" tour, explaining that "I can't do what I did last time right now."
In the September issue of ELLE, Grande explained the toll that touring in the wake of the Manchester tragedy had on her mental health. "When I got home from tour, I had really wild dizzy spells, this feeling like I couldn’t breathe," she explained. "I would be in a good mood, fine and happy, and they would hit me out of nowhere. I’ve always had anxiety, but it had never been physical before. There were a couple of months straight where I felt so upside down."
With all of that going on in Grande's life, it's understandable why the singer had hesitations about setting out on a major tour once more. However, it seems as if she's feeling stronger, and more determined to fight back against her anxiety than ever. But regardless of how soon those tour dates roll around, one thing is for sure: Grande's fans will always be there to support her, and whatever she needs to do to take care of herself.